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The 2017 Chardonnay fruit was handpicked in pristine condition. Lifted bouquet of nectarines and stone fruits with an underlay of toasty spice. Barrel ferment characters add complexity while flavours of citrus and cashew swirl around the palate to give a long flavoursome finish.

The aspiration of Oakridge LVS -- or Local Vineyard Series -- wines is to be outstanding expressions of single vineyards within the Yarra Valley. Local Vineyard Series wines enable wine lovers to compare and contrast the power of terroir and geography in winemaking. In essence, different grape varieties thrive in different soils, and Yarra Valley terroirs and altitudes vary widely. Oakridges expertise and understanding of the region allows viticulturists and winemakers to match a particular variety with a particular site -- with marvellous results. Almost all LVS wines are cellarworthy. The Willowlake Vineyard is just outside Gladysdale in Victorias Upper Yarra Valley. Planted in 1979 at an elevation 300 metres, the cool-grown Chardonnay here ranks with the regions very best. Add the skills of leading Chardonnay exponent David Bicknell and these hand-picked grapes become wines that express their variety and origin with consummate precision and flair.

Brilliant straw with green edges. Nuttiness and delicate stone fruit. Peach and grapefruit, with fresh balanced natural acidic finish giving layers of textural complexity. The fruit was handpicked, chilled and whole bunch pressed to allow gentle extraction. The juice was transferred directly into French oak barrels and fermented with a mix of natural (wild) yeast and selected yeast strains to provide complexity. No MLF to retain natural acidity and freshness. Post-fermentation the lees were stirred gently once a week until the balance between oak, lees characters and fruit characters was achieved. The origin of Rockcliffe was an 18 acre expanse of apple orchards planted early in the 1900s in the rich Scotsdale Valley region of Denmark in the Great Southern, Western Australia. In the late 1980s, a local family acquired the property for its fertile soils and position for long afternoon sunshine with cool ocean breezes. It was christened Matildas Meadow and the planting of dry grown vines commenced. The Pinot and Chardonnay vines were the first planted in the district in 1987. Our brands reflect our love of the Ocean and how important it is to the vineyard. Located less than 15km from the Southern Ocean , we are gifted with sea breezes all summer to cool the vineyard, creating the perfect conditions for the slow ripening, cool climate styles that symbolize the Great Southern.

Pale yellow youthful green tinges, which I equate with quality young chardonnay. Aromatics are instantly very serious. Intense fruit nectarines and white peaches melding with lemon citrus beautiful French oak hovering just above the wine at the moment intense more than a cursory nod to Burgundy. The tiniest whiff of sulphides perfect for a wine of this age. When sipped, the wine shows its incredible intensity, no doubt derived from the very low yield.

Pale straw green in colour showing complex bouquet of intense citrus, roasted cashew and flinty notes. The palate is fine and creamy with a long crisp finish.

Winemaker notes Colour: Pale Gold Bouquet: Our Reserve Chardonnay has a bright and lifted nose of sweet pastry, lemon curd and fleshy white stonefruit. Palate: The palate displays a rich and layered mix of fresh stonefruit, citrus and intense vanilla bean flavours. A fine mineral thread ensures a wine of length and persistence. Viticulture The vineyard is planted on Karri loam gravel soils with underlying laterite. Vine rows run north south down a moderate north facing slope and are clone Gin-Gin with trellis structured to vertical shoot positioning. The vineyard is subject to the cool Southern Ocean breezes and ripens slowly, evenly and with naturally high acidity. Winemaking The fruit is handpicked then cooled before whole bunch pressing. New and seasoned barrels are filled directly from the press to enhance complexity. Only the free run fraction is reserved with harder pressings separated to ensure a delicate and fine expression of the fruit in this wine. The juice is left to ferment spontaneously and can take up to three weeks to ferment with some cooling at the height of ferment. After ferment the barrels are topped and gently stirred with inert gas protection monthly. A small number of barrels were encouraged to finish malolactic fermentation to ameliorate the natural acidity. After nine months in barrel the wine is assembled in tank and aged on lees to further encourage complexity.

The Cullen Metricup Chardonnay is a fresh and elegant expression from Margaret River, crafted with a minimalist, natural approach. The Chardonnay is from the Metricup area, and comes with authentic sustainable credentials from a certified organic vineyard in conversion to biodynamic.

This Margaret River classic has reached a beautifully rounded maturity, softening its initial power into pure elegance. The vibrant grapefruit and white stonefruit flavors have mellowed into a smooth, honeyed richness, perfectly complemented by a creamy cashew finish. It is silkier and more approachable than ever, a sophisticated, world-class white that feels luxurious and easy to drink right now.

The palate exudes fleshy primary fruits, layered with nutmeal, lemon butter and brioche. A chalky, mineral texture and fresh citrus acidity continues the bounce.